Apparatus for drying plates of various sorts



IN VE N TOR F. T. POWERS APPARATUS FOR DRYING PLATES OF VARIOUS SORTS Filed June 29 Nov, 1 1 9 1924- WITNESS/S8 Patented Nov. 11, 1924.

' 1,514,926 PATENT OFFICE.

FitANK T. POWERS, or noUGLAsToLt, NEW YORK.

APPARATUSTOR DRYING PLATESOF VARIOUS SORTS.

Application med June 29, 1922, Serial No. 571,839.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1,.F RANK T. POWERS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Douglaston, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Dryin Plates of Various Sorts, of which the ollowing is a specification My invention relates to apparatus for dry ing plates or sheets of metal, glass or other material and more particularly to the metal plates used as printing plates in the photomechanical reproduction art. It is intended for use in the processes in which metal plates are employed and which at certain stages in the'process require drying.

The object of the invention is to furnish a quick, easy, sure, safe means'for drying plates of this character after they have been washed or rinsed with water. The method generally employed heretofore consists in applying to the surface of the-plate by hand a mop of damp chamois skin.

drops of water are absorbed and after this operation is carefully carried out the plate is-ready for final drying .by heating it 'over a as flame.

he disadvantages of this method are both numerous and obvious. The time required is considerable, the possibilities of incomplete drying due to carelessness of the operator are ever present and the damage and loss ensuing in the event of improper or incomplete drying are quite material. The

last of the moisture must then be removed by heating the plate over a gas flame or by equivalent means.

By the use of my invention these disadvantages of the present method are overcome. The wet plate is placed between two water absorbent surfaces and a high pressure is applied'to the two surfaces of the plate simultaneously.- The absorbent surfaces are heated so that in a brief interval the wet plate is both dried and warmed ready for the next operation. The action is quick, positive and uniform. Every plate receives the same treatment as every other plate, which is conducive to uniformity of product. Other advantages and special features of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description to one familiar with the art.

In the accompanying drawing is shown a perspective of one of the preferred embodi By gently. patting the plate with the damp leather the j liquid. Pipe connections 3, 3, furnish means for supplying steam or heated liquid from any suitable source.

, To the under surface of said platten is aflixed a layer of water absorbent material .3. A second cellular or tubulated platten 4 is arranged under first mentionedplatten 2, so as to move vertically in ides 5, 5.

'This'platten also is provided with internal cellular or tubular passages for the circulaten 2.

1 &tta ched to the upper surface of platten 4 isa water absorbent layer of material 6.

tion of a heating medium, similar to plat- The lower platten 4 is movable by means of the links7, 7 pivoted to the lever arms 8, 8,

attached to shaft 9, to which is "attached the hand lever 10. By means of the toggle system composed :of hand lever 10, shaft 9, lever arms 8 8,v and links 7 7, the platten 4 may be moved upwardly into forcible contact with platten 2, or moved downwardly away from it.

With the hand lever 10 in one extreme position there will be a space between the upper and lower plattens, while with the hand lever 10 at its other extreme position the two plattens will be tightly pressed together.

It is obvious that many other methods of construction and other arrangements of parts will give similar results in operation. The plattens between which the plate is dried may be in a vertical, inclined, or horizontal position without affecting the result. When the plattens are placed in an inclined or a vertical position it is particularly easy to heat them by passing a current of hot air between them. This may be accomplished with a gas burner or other source of heat so disposed that the heat passes upwardly between the two plattens when in their open position.

Having described the mechanism of the preferred embodiment of my invention, 1 will now outline its method of operation.

The hand lever 10 is placed in a position which corresponds to the open position'of the two plattens 2 and 4. The plate to be dried is inserted face up between the two plattens and rested on the absorbent covering'of the lower platten 4. The hand lever 10 is then manually moved to its other extreme position which forcibly presses the plate up against the absorbent surface of the upper platten 2.

The toggle form of the lever mechanism shown enables the operator to exert a very high final pressure upon the plate with moderate pressure on the hand lever. After a brief interval the hand lever 10 is returned to its first or starting position and the plate, now dried, is removed fromthe lower platten 4, and is ready for the next operation.

Having described my invention and its method of operation, I will nowstate what I claim to be novel and new and upon which I desire to secure Letters Patent:

1. In an apparatus for the drying of photo-mechanical printing plates, the combination of two absorbent surfaces with means for pressing said surfaces against. opposite sides of said plates.

2. A device for drying photo-mechanical printing plates comprising in combination two plattens having water absorbent surfaces, means for heating said surfaces by the circulation of a heated fluid and means for pressing the said plates between the said surfaces.

A device for drying photoanechanical printing plates comprising in combination two heated absorbent surfaces and means for simultaneously pressing said heated surfaces against opposite sides of said plates.

Signed at Xew York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this th day of May, A. D. 1922.

FRANK T. POWERS. 

